


You'll Never Know How Many Dreams I've Dreamed About You REMIX

by Fluffypanda



Category: Avengers Assemble (Cartoon), Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Artist Steve Rogers, Dreams, Ice Cream, M/M, Mother Hen Bucky Barnes, Multiverse, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-17 06:22:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9309308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fluffypanda/pseuds/Fluffypanda
Summary: In which Steve has a celebrity crush, dreams about superheroes, and gets sick.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [speak twice (the scrying remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9218447) by [magicasen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicasen/pseuds/magicasen). 



> For the Cap-Ironman Relay Remix
> 
> The title is from "It's Been A Long, Long Time." Because I can't resist that song.

“I had a dream about him last night,” Steve said with a nod to the TV in the living room. On the screen was some sort of talk show rerun featuring Tony Stark.

“I don’t need to know about your dirty dreams, Stevie.” Bucky glared at Steve over his toast.

“It wasn’t that kind of dream!” Steve huffed before going back to ignoring his oatmeal and tracing the stains on the kitchen table. “We were on a top secret mission with villains and submarines. It was kind of fun, like a movie or something.”

“Even your dreams are dorky,” Bucky snorted into his coffee cup. “Bet you kissed in the end like a couple from an action movie--wait no, I bet you got married.”

“Shut up. If I’d known you were going to razz me for it, I wouldn’t’ve said anything.”

“You’ve got to admit, it’s pretty ridiculous to be crushing on a celebrity like him the way you are. You’ll never even meet him!”

Steve knew that, so he really didn’t need Bucky reminding him. Though, his dream suggested otherwise.

Everything had been bathed in red light, as if trying to emphasize the depravity of the people the submarine belonged to. Steve ran down the corridor easily, his body healthy and strong.

“You know, this would be a lot easier if I had my armor and you had your shield... and we had the Hulk,” Tony grumbled, breathlessly.

While Steve could outrun giant exo-armors all the livelong day, Tony could not; he was already panting from the exertion. Lucky for him, a plan was already forming in Steve’s mind.

“You're not looking at this in the right way, Tony. Step one: ask yourself, ‘what would a science whiz do?’”

As one, Steve and Tony stopped running and turned to face their enemies.

“Step two.” Steve boosted Tony up on one of the armors where he sliced through the wiring with precision. “I distract the target and let the whiz do his biz.”

Within moments, Tony had the armor rewired and firing at the other three armors. Just like that, he reduced them to smoking piles of junk, almost making it seem like child’s play.

“Step three: we enjoy the view,” Steve finished with a grin.

“That actually worked,” Tony said, wonder in his voice.

“Because that, my friend... was a—” hissing from above interrupted Steve as three vampires dropped out of the vents, prepared to fight.

“Never thought I'd be happy to see vampires, but they're saving me from one of your ‘lectures,’” Tony quipped, a tad irritably.

The vampires jumped on them, taking out Tony first then turning on Steve. Steve threw the vampires off him before Tony even struggled back to his feet, one vampire hit a window and cracked it. Tony smashed the glass and water rushed in, sweeping the vampires away and nearly flooding the sub in the process. Steve quickly jumped up to the vent in the ceiling to get out of the way and reached down to pull Tony up as well. For one terrifying moment he worried that he was only prolonging the inevitable, but thankfully steel panels came down over the windows before they all drowned. By the time Red Skull, MODOK, and Attuma came around and had their little spat, they were safely hidden in the vents.

“We have to stop them. And this time, we're not marching in and making it up as we go,” Steve hissed at Tony.

“Look, I admit it, if you hadn't come up with this plan to infiltrate the Cabal; we never would have learned how serious this was getting,” Tony admitted with a pained look.

“Thanks, but...” Steve left an openingfor Tony to finish.

“But with my armor gone, all I can do is improvise. Steve, even without your shield, you're still Captain America. Without my armor, I'm just...”

“Tony Stark! _The_ Tony Stark. Billionaire genius. You're probably one of the three smartest men in the entire world. You're as tough as they come. You invented hardcore. The Avengers are lucky you're on our side.”

“Really?” Tony narrowed his eyes at Steve. “You know two people smarter than me?”

“Can't you just take a compliment?” Steve grumbled.

Steve had no choice to put aside his annoyance when Tony sprang out of hiding, claiming to have a plan. He wasn’t sure what Tony was thinking at first, putting himself in danger like that, but Steve caught on to the way he was turning the Cabal against each other and joined in. After getting Tony’s armor back, and sinking the sub in a rather spectacular fashion, Steve was glad he went along with it.

It was relief when the rest of the Avengers picked them up, even if it meant encountering Clint’s bizarre imitation of him. Was that really what the team thought he sounded like? Steve and Tony quickly updated their teammates on what went down on the sub, leaving a full report for later.

“I'm surprised you guys survived each other, much less the Cabal.” Natasha raised an eyebrow.

“I recently learned it doesn't hurt to have a plan sometimes,” Tony offered, his cocky smirk somehow coming off as unbearably attractive instead of annoying.

“Oh, now, isn't that ironic?” Steve turned towards Tony, smiling. “'Cause I learned that sometimes you should just follow your gut.”

“So, like... are you pals gonna hug now, or what?” Clint smirked knowingly at them.

“You okay?”

Steve blinked and refocused his eyes on Bucky.

“I was just thinking about the dream,” Steve said, clearing his head with a shake. “I’ll see you later.”

Quickly shoveling down the last of his oatmeal, Steve dropped the bowl in the sink and dashed for the door. Bucky trailed behind with a worried look on his face.

Bucky shoved a scarf at Steve. “Bundle up! I don’t want to drag your ass to the hospital.”

“You’re not my ma.” Steve pouted while threading his arms through his coat.

“Well your ma ain’t here, so I have to be the one to make sure you don’t kill yourself out of stubbornness. Now put the damn scarf on,” Bucky said, wrapping it around Steve’s neck.

 

Steve took a moment to bask in the warmth coming off of the radiator near the office entrance. He ignored the tickle at the back of his throat; it was probably all the dry air. Since that first dream he told Bucky about, he’d had several others like it. He’d begun looking forward to them, to sinking into his bed after finishing his work for the night.

“Hey, Brooklyn. Nice to see you made it,” Carol called from her desk.

“Why?” Steve asked, ambling over to her. “Did you think I’d quit on you?”

“Remember that cough Jess had yesterday? Well, she's out today with a high fever. She’s not the only one either. Hank and Scott from the other team are out, too.”

“I hope they feel better soon.” Steve hated other people being sick almost as much as he hated being sick himself.

Steve settled in at his desk, unloading his stuff and pulling out his tools. The office was toasty, almost too warm and soon Steve was shedding all the extra layers Bucky had forced on him that morning. Once he got it all off, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work on the latest panels he was assigned.

Timely Comics was one of the largest comic book companies in the United States. Steve was currently doing some of the background art for one of their less popular series. He hoped eventually he’d be allowed to work on one of their headliners, but that seemed a long way off. The editors seemed to hardly glance his way. Steve was sure that if he kept working at it though, he’d eventually make a breakthrough.

After a few attempts at sketching, Steve still wasn’t happy with the results. No matter how he drew it, there was something missing. It all seemed too generic. A glance at the clock told him that he still had several hours of good light.

“Carol, I going to walk around a bit and will be back later. I’ll be sure to get the roughs to you tonight.”

Carol quirked an eyebrow at that. “You’re really going out right now? If you aren’t careful, we’ll have to defrost you.”

“I’ll be fine. I have a coat. I just need to take a few reference pictures.”

“You work too hard.”

“You know how much I admired Erskine. I want to do him proud.”

He only got this job thanks to Abraham Erskine, who had convinced his coworkers that he needed Steve on the team for his final project before retiring. Erskine was a legend; his experimental style revolutionized the comics industry before Steve could even read.

“We all admired him, Steve, but you don’t need to push yourself as hard as you do. You’re already going above and beyond with your work.”

“I know I can do better.”

“You won’t be satisfied until you’ve shattered everyone’s expectations, huh?”

“Damn right, I won’t.”

Steve set out, an intrepid young comic artist on a mission. He wandered the streets, looking for spots he felt would fit the scenes he was working on. It had to be some place with personality.

Carol had been right, it was freezing. He debated getting coffee or maybe tea, something with lemon and a boatload of honey that would feel good on his throat while warming him, but he really couldn’t afford it. He and Bucky were barely making rent this month. He’d just have to wait until he got back to the office; there were plenty of free drinks in the break room.

Overcome with dizziness, he found a bus shelter with a bench to collapse into while he cleared his head.

Steve coughed, he just wanted to rest for a moment, just a moment and then he’d be back on his feet. The cold air was actually starting to feel kind of refreshing against his overly-warm skin. Maybe when he got home, he’d put an ice pack in his pillow. Steve closed his eyes.

 

Steve turned off the video feed of the battle on the streets. Thor and the others seemed to be handling the dinosaurs well.

“I don't need a babysitter, Cap. I'm still brilliant, even if I'm a teenager.”

Tony’s arc reactor glowed orange instead of its usual blue as he tinkered with his too-large armor. He appeared to be determined to make it fit him. It was odd seeing Tony like this, younger of course, complete with shaggy haircut and beardless face, but it was something else that really stood out. Steve would never have called Tony the most mature man, but it was clear he’d grown up a lot since his teenage years.

“I'm not babysitting. I'm here to help.”

“Don't need it. Watch this.” Tony grinned as he prepared to stick his arm in an adjusted gauntlet.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“Yes. Maybe. I've never had a Time stone stuck in my chest before, but whatever. Here we go.” Tony plunged his arm in and yelped when the gauntlet shocked him, sending him flying into the nearest wall. “Why'd you let me do that?”

“I tried to warn you—”

Tony got to his feet, snarling, “Don't act like my dad! He thought you were so awesome that I should just be like you. Guess what!? I'm not the great Captain America.”

With those words, the Time stone pulsed in response to Tony’s distress and Tony grew even younger. When Tony next spoke, it was in the voice of a frightened child.

“I need your help, Cap.”

In between checking on how the other Avengers were doing, Steve tried his best to encourage Tony, the poor kid wasn’t having any luck rebuilding his armor. Steve knew that Tony would work it out eventually, he just needed to focus.

Unfortunately, the damage the tower took during the battle meant that he had to check the cell block and leave Tony to work it out alone. Steve arrived just in time to see that the Red Skull had escaped containment _and_ get trampled by dinosaurs. Rubble pinned him down, leaving him vulnerable. The next moment a blow to the head knocked Steve out.

When Steve finally recovered, dazed and unsure of how much time had passed, Steve called Tony on the comms. He got no response. Not willing to waste any more time, he rushed to check on Tony.

Upon reaching Tony’s lab, he found the Red Skull terrorizing Tony, who was even younger than when Steve last saw him. Steve threw his shield, freeing Tony from the Skull’s grip. Tony slipped on a pair of jet skates and sped over to his worktable to finish his project.

Steve and the Skull trade a few blows, with Steve pushing the Skull back but the Skull managed to turn the tables and pin Steve down. The Skull continuously rained down blows on Steve and his shield, each punch powerful enough to knock the breath from Steve. Suddenly, the Skull was blasted off of Steve by Tony’s jet skates. No longer held down, Steve rallied enough to put his fist in the Skull’s face.

The punch seemed to have down the trick, Steve walked over to where the Skull was laid out on the floor, defeated. Steve reached down to haul him up and bring him back to his cell when suddenly, the Skull grabbed a piece of armor from the floor and delivered a painful blow to Steve’s head. The ensuing struggle gave the Skull a chance to get his hands on Tony, and the time stone, again.

Steve watched in horror then in fascination as the pieces of kid-sized armor Tony put together flew around and struck the Skull, causing him to release Tony. The armor formed around Tony as he zoomed about the workshop. The Skull leaped at Tony and was met with a repulsor beam that ejected the Red Skull from the tower.

Yet, the Skull was just one of their problems, as the Time stone was quick to remind them. It pulsed threateningly in Tony’s chest, it orange glow growing brighter with Tony’s fear.

“Focus, Tony. You have the power to stop the time slips.”

“What if it doesn't work? What if I de-age into nothing? What if I destroy the universe?” Tears leaked from Tony’s eyes. “Cap, I'm scared.”

It really pained Steve to see Tony so vulnerable and uncertain. He knew Tony wasn’t always the confident man he showed the world, but he’d never seen Tony like this.

“No need to be, son.” Steve patted Tony’s shoulder.

Tony’s big brown eyes blinked up at him. “Easy for you to say. You're a big, brave superhero.”

Steve peeled off his cowl, letting Tony see his face. “I was brave long before I was Captain America. And Tony Stark was a hero long before he was Iron Man.”

Tony nodded, then wrapped his arms tightly around Steve in a tearful hug. Steve hugged him back, giving him what support he could, hoping it was enough. Without breaking the hug, Tony brought his hand to his chest. The orange glow of the Time Stone filled the room as Tony pulled it from the arc reactor. The light spread from there in a wave, putting everything to rights.

“What are you doing out here?” said a panicked voice.

The face in front of Steve blended with the wispy remnants of his dream, forming a face that Steve couldn’t be seeing, not in real life.

“Tony?” Steve rasped, his every breath a struggle.

“I’ve got you, Steve.”

Steve had to be still dreaming. It was the only thing that made sense. People like Tony Stark don’t just show up at random bus stops knowing your name.

“You were a cute kid,” Steve moaned, though he wasn’t sure his words were all that clear.

“You know what? We’re getting you to the hospital.”

“No hospital. I‘m fine.”

“Yes, you’re very fine, but you’re going to die if I don’t get you some help.”

Steve’s reply was lost in a fit of coughing as his lungs constricted.

“That’s it, we’re going.” Tony hauled Steve up and propped him against his shoulder. “You can complain when you are better.”

“Okay.” Steve blacked out again, slumping against Tony.

 

The steady beeping of machines, the sigh of someone next to his bed, and the ambient noises of people moving through hallways reached Steve first. He cracked open his eyes to look at the dimly lit room. Bucky gazed listlessly at the heart monitor next to the bed, his face etched with worry.  It must have been Bucky that brought him here; Steve supposed when you are half-out of your head it’s easy to see who you want. He knew it was nothing but a feverish fantasy to begin with, but disappointment bubbled up in him anyway.

The next moment, noticing that Steve woke up, Bucky’s expression shuffled through several emotions before turning stormy.

“I can’t believe, after all your ‘I’m fine, Bucky’s and ‘stop being a mother hen, Bucky’s, that you actually ended up back here.” Bucky clenched the railing on the side of the bed until his knuckles went white. “You were on a respirator for god’s sake!”

Steve looked up at Bucky, guiltily thinking of how much trouble he’d caused. This little hospital visit was going to have a big bill even with the coverage Steve was getting from the insurance at Timely. Plus, Bucky must have taken time off to sit with Steve like this. Steve really put his foot in it this time.

“Sorry.”

Seeing Steve’s expression, Bucky let go of the railing and sat back in his chair next to the bed, visibly calming himself.

“You’re damn lucky you didn’t end up dead,” Bucky grumbled.

Steve caught a flash of movement outside the door. Bucky caught the direction of his gaze quickly enough and turned to look. Steve couldn’t see much, only that there was someone pacing out there.

“Oh? He’s here again, is he?” Bucky turned back to Steve and shook his head. “He disappears every once in a while, but he’s here more often than not, though he hasn’t even come into the room yet.”

“Who?”

“Stark. I don’t know how it happened, but he was the one to get you here.”

“I thought it was a dream.”

Bucky grinned mischievously and rose from his seat, whispering “Good luck!” in Steve’s ear on his way out the door. Steve strained to listen to Bucky’s muffled voice as he said something to Tony before pushing him into the room.

Tony stumbled in, holding a bag and looking a little rumpled. He gave an annoyed glare at the door before gaining some semblance of composure and taking a seat at Steve’s bedside.

“I got you some ice cream. It’s butter pecan,” he said, handing over a pint-sized carton and a spoon.

“Thanks,” Steve said, suddenly at a loss for anything more to say.

In silence, he pried the cover off of the ice cream. It was halfway to soup, but Steve was grateful to have it--it was even his favorite flavor. Despite his best efforts, Steve’s hand shook as he brought the spoon to his mouth. Ice cream dribbled on his hospital gown.

“Let me.” Tony reached out his hand for the spoon.

“I can do it,” Steve complained, not at all pouting.

“Please?”

Steve was going to say no, he could feed himself ice cream just fine, thank you, but Tony cheated by turning his big brown puppy-dog eyes on Steve. It just wasn’t a face he could refuse.

Wordlessly, Steve turned over the spoon and opened his mouth for a bite of ice cream, his cheeks burning. It was like some fantasy, Tony Stark, sitting by his bedside, feeding him ice cream, though if Steve had his choice of fantasies, that wouldn’t have been the one he picked. He’d like one where he retained some scrap of dignity.

“You ever hear about the multiverse?” Tony asked, spooning another bite into Steve’s mouth.

“Wha?”

“I ask because I think it’s kind of a big deal for us.” Tony waved the spoon pointedly before taking another scoop. “See, I’ve been getting these dreams, I’m some sort of superhero, which is awesome by the way, and I’m on this team that saves the world. My best friend is the leader of that team and I’m a little bit in love with him.”

Steve’s heart rate spiked at that little confession, the reaction unfortunately obvious thanks to the beeping of the heart monitor. Tony had the good grace not to mention it; instead, he continued dispensing ice cream and conversation.

“Then I realize, these aren’t dreams. They’re some sort of multiversal resonance. So, I tap into the frequency these things were coming in on, send a message, and wait for a reply.”

Tony takes a bite of the ice cream for himself before going back to feeding Steve with the same spoon. If it was possible for Steve to be anymore flustered, he would have been.

“The whole time I’m wondering, ‘where is my Steve Rogers?’ Well, It turns out there are a lot of blonde haired, blue eyed Steve Rogerses, including ones that were fighting Nazis in the 40’s.”

“Then, how did you find me?” Steve asked. “How did you know it was me?”

“About three days ago, I received a message with a time and a place, telling me that you needed my help.” Tony put down the ice cream and clenched his fists in his lap. “I just barely made it.”

A moment of silence stretched between them, drawing them together. Tony gently took Steve’s hand and ran his thumb over the back of it. The familiarity should have been unsettling, but it felt just right, like it was meant to be.

Steve startled when the muffled notes of an unidentifiable song leaked from Tony’s pocket, prompting him to reach inside and grab his phone. Tony’s fingers danced across the screen.

“It’s another message.”

“They send them to your phone?”

“You think I can’t rig my phone to receive signals from another universe?” Tony’s face slipped into his signature cocksure grin. “I am a genius, you know.”

Steve fondly rolled his eyes and asked, “What did they say?”

“Take a look,” Tony said, handing him the phone.

Splashed across the screen was a simple message that took Steve’s breath away:

_The Avengers are always on your side. - IM_

**Author's Note:**

> I used this site ( http://transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewforum.php?f=599 ) for the dialogue pulled from episodes of Avengers Assemble. (It's S1E13 In Deep and S2E7 The Age of Tony Stark)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Same As It Ever Was (The Thought Bubbles Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9364634) by [Sineala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sineala/pseuds/Sineala)




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